Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Jaime is so into her new boyfriend Josh that she doesn't realize the danger his fanatical church poses until it's too late and her own father has joined their cult and disowned her. Jamie is only a few months from turning 18, but until then, she has to find a way to live on her own without raising the suspicions of her friends or the authorities who might send her off to live with her estranged mother in another state.

For some reason, I've always been drawn in by stories of people surviving cults, and I appreciated this different perspective. Jamie is not the one in the cult, but the consequences on her life are severe. Josh can only see her in secret, and because her father has kicked her out & cut her off, she's homeless and has to get a job.

Jaime's situation is scary. Because of her age and circumstances, she doesn't have a lot of choices. She ends up in a seedy hotel and has to give up a lot just to keep going. Anthony dramatizes this hopelessness well and makes a wise choice by portraying Jamie as relatable, adaptable and non-whiny. I enjoyed the way the plot played out - even the last little sucker punch at the very end. Also - I loved the character of LaVon and how he became important to Jaime's life.

THE RIGHT & THE REAL comes out April 24th. Find out more about it at the author's website.

9 comments:

I also am really intrigued by books that feature cults, and would really love to read this one. It sounds like there is a lot to think about in this story, and I can imagine that Jaime is living a very desperate life. Great review today, Lenore!